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Alright, I kind of went at it w/ a conservative today.
I've been friends with this person for years via our children's playgroup. Currently she receives free health care from the government at a local military hospital and this is what she wrote:

"If anyone thinks that government health care is going to be great here's a little taste for you. I just spent 20 minutes on the phone TRYING to book an eye exam. End result was the ONLY available appt. is ************. If that doesn't work for me I am to call a different number to try to get a waiver to be seen elsewhere! This is for just an eye exam!! Scary."

I'm a clinician at this hospital, so this is what I wrote back:

"I know that it is sometimes fun to bash government health care, but as a physician at the institution you are criticizing, I think this might be an instructive moment.

You receive free health care from the government. If you don't like what the goverment offers, you are free to obtain private health insurance on your own. I suspect you won't or can't do that because it is hugely expensive...around $15K/yr for a family of four.

But since you are taking advantage of what the government offers, you will not be seen when it is convenient for you. That's the price you pay when you take advantage of the incredible offer of free health care. While waiting for a month for an elective eye exam may seem inconvenient, the system is not designed for your personal convenience. It is designed to take care of as many soldiers and their families on a constrained budget. If you would like the Military Health Care system to be more convenient, you can write your congressperson and ask them to increase funding for military hospitals so that they can have shorter wait times. In this climate, I'm doubtful anyone would take you seriously.

The one last thing I would like to say is that I take offense at the notion that because you have to wait a little longer for an elective visit that this is somehow "scary", as if it has anything to do with the quality of care provided by *******. Nothing could be further from the truth, and you should know this from personal experience.

Anyways, I wish you would realize that you have friends that work at ******, and are a little hurt that you would use Facebook to malign the place we work at and dedicate our lives to."

So, did I take it too far? I'm feeling a little nervous about it.

Here liberals affirm that once we have "free health care" via the government-Obama care-which of course isn't free, just like military care isn't free, we can expect to get whatever the government wants to give us.....or not give us. And we WON'T have the choice to go elsewhere.

Their goal isn't that everyone will have good care. It's that everyone have terrible care so we're all "equal".

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retired military here and medical is cheap and it also is set up for the service member as you mentioned. Wait till she is in a retired status (if they go that long) and watch what the DOD is trying to do to us know.

Star Member calimary (26,564 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
12. NO! You did NOT take it too far!

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You handled it with grace and deft use of language, explaining things simply and eloquently. VERY nice touch, reminding her that - "This is FREE health care provided by the government that has a lot of people to help, and decreasing amounts of money to fund that magnitude of need. WTF were you expecting? Two Cadillacs?"

Last edited Tue Mar 13, 2012, 02:38 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)
And said something to the effect of "I didn't mean to offend anyone, I just wanted people to realize that this is what will happen when the government takes over".

all american girl (84 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
25. Government take over lolololol

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I think if she has to pay for her own, she will want to "government takeover" back...how old is she? I think she needs to look outside the military bubble...

so, this asshat is comparing the medical coverage that the military and their families who are giving up a LOT to the shit that Obama and their ilk are shoving down our throats? typical libtard

"Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings..." Patrick Henry

This is a very strange post. Does the DUmmy mean to portray government healthcare as that inept and unflattering? Because that's what I see.

First off, the woman is not receiving free healthcare. She is receiving healthcare provided by her employer. Either she or her spouse are offering their services as part of the compensation package they receive for that healthcare.

Secondly, the person replying is basically saying "government provided healthcare is shit". There's long lines and long wait times. Tough shit. That's what you get when you get free shit from the government.

You know what? When Barry forces me to buy gubmint provided healthcare next year or so, I don't want it. Just fine me for not taking it.

do military medical centers take in everybody, or is it just current/retired and immediate family?

Only current military and family. Retirees go to the VA.

And let's get something straight, we pay for our medical care. We pay for it in long deployments away from home. We pay for it with punishing physical requirements that wear out our bodies. We pay for it in stresses from combat. Some of us pay for it in blood, and some pay for it with their lives.

And let's get something straight, we pay for our medical care. We pay for it in long deployments away from home. We pay for it with punishing physical requirements that wear out our bodies. We pay for it in stresses from combat. Some of us pay for it in blood, and some pay for it with their lives.

Not to be to melodramatic, but those of us who have lost friends, pay for it in ways that most civilians never do. And yet we have the Novaidiots of the world that begrudge us of a life-long earned benefit. A benefit that we nonetheless pay for on a meager retirement.

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.C. S. LewisDo not ever say that the desire to "do good" by force is a good motive. Neither power-lust nor stupidity are good motives. (Are you listening Barry)?:mad:Ayn Rand

And let's get something straight, we pay for our medical care. We pay for it in long deployments away from home. We pay for it with punishing physical requirements that wear out our bodies. We pay for it in stresses from combat. Some of us pay for it in blood, and some pay for it with their lives.

thank you ody, i thought as much, just wasn't entirely sure...

i thought this story sounded a bit contrived...

Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.
Ronald Reagan

We could say they are spending like drunken sailors. That would be unfair to drunken sailors, they're spending their OWN money.
Ronald Reagan

Not to be to melodramatic, but those of us who have lost friends, pay for it in ways that most civilians never do. And yet we have the Novaidiots of the world that begrudge us of a life-long earned benefit. A benefit that we nonetheless pay for on a meager retirement.

Okay, here's a question though, and I mean this with all due respect. Does someone who work for the DoD or I guess the Pentagon in some sort of will-never-be-deployed-desk get the same health care?